The striker position in soccer is the second most important position after the midfield position.
As a striker, you are under constant pressure because the victory of the team depends on you most of the time.
In this article, you are going to have an answer to the most common questions around the striker position and how you can improve your game to become a better striker.
At the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of this position.
Let’s get started.
Striker Position In Soccer – Navigation
- What is a striker in soccer?
- What is the job of a striker in soccer?
- Where does a striker play?
- How much does a striker run in a soccer game?
- Is striker the best position in soccer?
- Second striker in soccer
- What does a second striker do in soccer?
- What to do as a striker?
- Difference between a forward and a striker in soccer
- What do soccer scouts look for in a striker?
- Wrap up
What Is A Striker In Soccer?
In soccer, a striker is a player very high positioned on the pitch and close to the opposition goal. The striker is responsible for scoring goals for their team. We often recognize a striker because of the number 9 they wear.
The strikers are often more popular than other players because they are in charge of their team’s victory – The whole team and the fans count on them to score goals.
The rest of the team can also score goals, but everybody will blame the striker if there are no goals during a game.
What Is The Job Of A Striker In Soccer?
The main job of a striker is to score as many goals as possible for their team during a game. They do this by their presence in the opposition’s box and creating space to allow their teammates to pass them the ball so they can score. A striker can also defend, especially when their team conceded a corner – But this is not their primary role.
What Position Is A Striker, Where Does He Play?
A striker plays very high and close to the opposition’s goal. Below is an image that shows you the position of a striker on the pitch.
How Much Does A Striker Run In A Soccer Game?
On average, a striker can run 5-6 miles per game on the pitch. A striker runs the most during counter-attacks for their team and when they make a run to receive a pass behind the opposing defence. Other than that, a striker only spends the majority of their time pressing the opposition’s defence. They are not asked to run everywhere on the pitch.
Although they don’t run everywhere on the pitch, the striker is still considered the most tiring position in soccer. Many people do not realize the efforts the striker makes during the 90 minutes of a game.
Also, if a striker finds himself very far from the opposition’s area the majority of the time, this reduces the chances to score goals because their teammates won’t be able to pass them the ball so they can score.
Is Striker The Best Position In Soccer?
The main purpose of a soccer game is to score goals and win the game. The Striker position allows you to do that more often than any other position. Plus, strikers are often the most well-known players as they are the ones usually leading the team to victory with the goals they score. Therefore, the striker is in the best position in soccer.
There is nothing better than always being the hero of your team. Although the striker doesn’t always score, he is the hero the majority of the time.
Second Striker In Soccer
The second striker, just like the main striker, is very high positioned on the pitch. A team can decide to play with one or 2 strikers depending on the tactic. But having two strikers will lead to more offensive plays and more goals.
A lot of teams use a system with a second striker.
For example, the URUGUAY national team used to play with Cavani and Suarez as strikers.
What Does A Second Striker Do In Soccer?
A second striker can create and score goals. The second striker usually drops back to act as a playmaker and is positioned between the midfielders and the centre forward.
Unlike the first striker who has to be physically imposing, the second striker is known to be small because this position requires an agile player in constant movement to help the first striker.
Some examples of second strikers are Antoine Griezman, Paulo Dybala, Joao Felix…
The advantage of having a second striker is that both strikers will occupy four defenders during a game, leaving space elsewhere for their teammates.
What To Do As A Striker?
Here are a few tips to be a better striker:
- Know where to position yourself on the pitch.
- Always try to shoot whenever you have the opportunity.
- When your team doesn’t have the ball possession, always press the opposing defence.
- Be aggressive. the opposing defence has to be scared of you
- Always give solutions for your teammates to easily find you.
- Find spaces.
- Always be available to receive the ball even if a defender is marking you.
- Call for the ball in tight spaces.
- Improve your first touch and ball control.
What Do Soccer Scouts Look For In A Striker?
If you are trying to be recruited by scouts as a striker, you have to make sure you know where to position yourself on the pitch, you need to have great shooting abilities, and you have to be a clinical finisher. These are the main criteria scouts look for in a striker.
Note that speed isn’t mentioned above because this is not part of the first thing scoots look for in a striker. But, of course, being a fast striker has an advantage when you are being approached by scoots.
You can also read: What do coaches look for in strikers?
What Is The Difference Between A Forward And A Striker In Soccer?
The difference between a forward and a striker is that the striker is positioned nearest to the opposition goal, but a forward is not. A forward is any player that plays in an attacking position. So, forward is designed to refer to any offensive position in a team.
Here are players(positions) considered forward:
- Striker
- Second striker
- Center forward
- Attacking midfielders
- Right and left-wingers
Read my full article about the difference between a forward and a striker in soccer.
Wrap Up
The striker is not the most important but probably the best position in soccer.
Playing as a striker involves a lot of responsibilities as the direction of the game depends on you most of the time. If you are a striker, you have to make sure to score a minimum of one goal per game. If you don’t, you are going to be criticized.
So, the striker position in soccer involves a lot of pressure.
I hope you have gained value from this article.
Are you a striker? Are you trying to become a striker? What’s your favourite position in soccer? Let us know in the comment section below.
